More and more recruiters in modern companies prefer to conduct interviews with candidates in English. For HR specialists, this is beneficial as it allows them to simultaneously assess the candidate's English skills and learn more about them.
However, for the candidates themselves, telling their story in English often poses difficulties. Especially if their level of English does not yet allow for free conversation on any topic.
Teachers from the online English school EnglishDom shared opinions on how to structure a self-presentation in English to enhance your job prospects.
Step-by-step plan for presenting yourself
A self-presentation usually takes 3-5 minutes, but it greatly influences the first impression on the HR. Therefore, we recommend preparing your story in advance.
The optimal length of a self-presentation during an interview is up to 15 sentences. More than that, and the recruiter is unlikely to stay engaged.
It’s important to develop a presentation plan in advance. Your story should be compact, without unnecessary details, yet rich in meaning.
Let’s move directly to the plan.
1. General information about yourself (name and age)
The beginning of the autobiography is the simplest part, as introductions are taught even at the elementary level.
- My name is Ivan Petrov. — My name is Ivan Petrov.
- I’m 30 years old. — I am 30 years old.
As an introductory phrase, some recommend using 'Let me introduce myself,' but according to the teachers at EnglishDom, this will only convince the recruiter that your English level is quite low.
To make your talk smoother and more informal, use fillers. well, let’s start, so, okay.
Okay, let’s start. My name is… — Okay, let’s start. My name is…
This way the speech will sound more natural. The key is not to overdo fillers; one per three sentences will be enough.
2. Place of residence
This part is also quite simple. You need to mention the city you live in and the district if it’s a large city. You can also mention the region you're originally from, but it's optional.
- I’m from Kyiv. — I’m from Kyiv.
- I live in Moscow, in the Khamovniki District. — I live in Moscow, in Khamovniki.
- I used to live in… — I used to live in cities like…
- My hometown is Lviv. — My hometown is Lviv.
3. Family
You don't need to go into too much detail. Just mention if you're married (or single) and whether you have children. If you do, state their ages. You can briefly describe your wife's profession in one sentence, but don’t overdo it. The interview is about you, not your family.
- I’m married. — I'm married. (I’m single)
- My wife (husband) is a designer. — My wife (my husband) is a designer.
- I’ve been married for 10 years. — I have been married for 10 years.
- I’m divorced. — I’m divorced.
- I have 2 kids. They’re 9 and 3. — I have two children. They are 9 and 3 years old.
4. Education, Work Skills, and Competencies
We recommend not to focus too much on formal education. It's worth mentioning your degree, but emphasize it only if you are seeking work in your field.
Focus primarily on your professional knowledge and competencies.
- I graduated from KNU with a degree in… — I graduated from KNU with a specialty in…
- I took a training program at… — I completed a course on…
- My professional experience includes… — My professional experience includes…
- I have the following skills… — I possess the following skills…
- My work experience accounts… — My work experience totals…
This section should be the longest, consisting of 3 to 8 sentences.
5. Last Positions and Jobs
Nearly all recruiters ask about your last job, so you can mention it directly in your self-presentation.
- I worked as a system administrator in ABC company before that. — Before that, I worked as a system administrator at ABC company.
- I was fired because of… — I was fired because of…
- In the last 5 years at ABC, I’ve achieved the following results… — In the last 5 years at ABC, I achieved the following results…
You don't need to focus too much on this — concentrate on your competencies and achievements.
6. Personal Qualities
In your self-presentation, mention a few qualities that you consider your best. Three or four will be sufficient. Avoid over-praising yourself — recruiters don’t appreciate that.
Here are some common positive qualities. Choose among them those that apply to you:
- hard-working — hard-working;
- sociable — sociable;
- diligent — diligent;
- responsible — responsible;
- open-minded — open-minded;
- creative — creative;
- ambitious — ambitious;
- stress-resistant — stress-resistant;
- initiative — proactive.
Some recruiters also ask about candidates' negative aspects, but it's best not to talk about them in your personal presentation. Your task is to present yourself as a person and a specialist as concisely as possible; negativity here would be out of place. If necessary, the HR will ask separately.
7. Hobbies and Other Personal Information
This point is not mandatory at all. However, from personal experience, candidates are perceived more positively if they have hobbies and interests, especially if they are somewhat unusual. One sentence about your hobby will suffice.
- In my free time, I enjoy… — In my spare time, I am interested in…
- I have a few hobbies… — I have a few hobbies…
Tips for Preparing to Talk About Yourself in an Interview
We have gathered several tips to help you present yourself correctly and maximize your chances of getting the job.
Tip 1. Preparation and More Preparation
Even if your level of English allows you to communicate almost fluently, it's worth spending some time preparing for the interview.
You only get one chance to make a first impression, so any grammatical mistakes, mixed-up words, and long pauses between sentences can cost you the job.
The best way is to write down your speech in advance and read it aloud several times. You don't need to memorize it, as the recruiter may ask clarifying questions during your narration. If you get off track and forget what to say next, it will be very noticeable.
Tip 2. Use Simple Words and Phrases
If you want to impress the recruiter, it's better to do so with your knowledge and skills in your professional field.
Avoid overloading your speech with complex sentences, idioms, and rarely used words, even if you know English very well. It comes off as pretentious.
It's best to use accessible phrases and expressions. However, if you want to make your speech sound more natural, you can use idioms and fillers, but only in moderation.
Tip 3. Stay Calm
Panic is the easiest way to mess up in an interview, especially if it’s conducted in English.
Therefore, try to keep a clear mind, even if things go wrong. If you're feeling overly emotional, consider taking a calming pill before the interview.
Some recruiters intentionally try to throw candidates off their usual rhythm by asking tricky and sometimes downright silly questions. For example:
- What do you think about garden gnomes?
- Do you have a favorite song in English? Sing it for us.
- Why is the surface of a golf ball dimpled?
- Why are manhole covers round?
The aim of such questions is to test how you react in completely unfamiliar situations. Unfortunately, you can't prepare for these questions in advance, so you'll have to rely on your vocabulary and general knowledge.
Conclusions
Candidates find that interviewing in English is harder than in Russian. This is mostly due to the language barrier that prevents them from expressing their thoughts freely in a foreign language.
Even specialists with good English (advanced and above) can get flustered during interviews, often resulting in a refusal. Therefore, study English and prepare thoroughly for interviews.
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Source: habr.com
